Guidewire compatible port and method for inserting same

ABSTRACT

An access port assembly having an attachable catheter allows for inserting a guidewire into the catheter to aid in the placement of the integral catheter while still attached to the access port assembly. A method is described for placing an access port fixedly attached to a catheter into a patient using a guidewire inserted into the catheter.

This is a division of application Ser. No. 08/941,919 filed on Oct. 1,1997, which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an implantable access port assemblywhich includes an attachable catheter. The present invention furtherrelates to an access port usable with an attachable catheter that may beinserted into a patient as a unit using a guidewire, the unit having anentry site for a guidewire.

An access port connected to a catheter is used to provide an easilyaccessible site by which fluids can be easily introduced into orextracted from a remote site in a patient. To place an access port andcatheter, a catheter is introduced into a vein, artery, existing lumen,created lumen or into other locations in the patient. A guidewire mayfirst be used to facilitate the positioning of the catheter in thepatient. Whether a guidewire is used to place the catheter depends onthe characteristics of the catheter, the patient's anatomy at the accesspoint, any constrictions in the catheter's pathway and the like. Where aguidewire is used to help position the catheter, it is first insertedinto the patient and advanced to the intended location. Once theguidewire is in place, the catheter is threaded on and positioned overthe guidewire in the desired location and the guidewire removed, anaccess port is then attached to the catheter and inserted into a“surgical pocket” in the patient at the access site. The attachment ofthe access port to the catheter can, however, be difficult due to thelubricious nature of the catheter and access port during insertion.Additionally, the physician does not have much maneuverability with thecatheter since the distal end of the catheter has been placed at aspecific location and the proximal end of the catheter has been cut to alength that optimizes placement of the catheter and access port into thesurgical pocket. Therefore, the physician must be careful inmanipulating the catheter when attaching the access port.

Additionally, there is a concern that the catheters may become detachedfrom the access port after implantation, causing the fluids not to reachtheir intended location. Integral ports and catheters have not been usedwhere s guidewire is required to place the catheter since the proximalend of the catheter/access port is closed, thereby preventing withdrawalof the guidewire once the catheter is in place.

Access ports used are usually constructed with a rigid-body such asshown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,945. The access ports are made of materialssuch as titanium, acetal, polysulfone, etc., and have a self-sealingsilicone access septum that is accessible percutaneously and throughwhich a needle is inserted to inject or remove fluids from the accessport's reservoir. An access port must first be located by palpating theskin at the access site. While a rigid-body access port is easy to findby palpation, a rigid-body has possible drawbacks such as tissuecompression and erosion in the overlying layer, discomfort, and thelike. The access septum is small relative to the size of access port.However, a smaller access septum results in a higher concentration ofneedle punctures in a smaller area, which in turn could be painful forthe patient and may lead to necrosis of the tissue overlying the accessport as well. The smaller access septum also increases the likelihoodthat the septum “target” will be missed more frequently when attemptingto access the septum.

One known soft-bodied access port is made of silicone formed around awire-mesh support to help it maintain its shape. One problem with thisstructure is that the wire mesh could interfere with the insertion of aguidewire.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an access port with anattachable catheter that substantially obviates one or more of theproblems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.

To achieve these and other advantages in accordance with the purpose ofthe invention, as embodied and broadly described, the invention includesan access port device having a central body portion with a self-sealingaccess septum and a reservoir, an outlet for fixedly attaching acatheter to the central body, and a self-sealing site, which can be asecond septum disposed in the body for inserting a guidewire or a styletinto the reservoir and into the catheter.

In one preferred embodiment the invention also includes an access portassembly having a self-sealing access septum, a catheter integrallyattached to the access port and one or more lumens configured to receivea guidewire or stylet for guiding the catheter in a body.

In another preferred embodiment the invention further includes asoft-bodied access port having an access port body and a needle stopdisposed in the bottom of a reservoir.

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate several embodiments of theinvention and, together with the description, serve to explain theprinciples of the invention.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth inthe description which follows, and in part will be apparent from thedescription or may be learned by the practice of the invention. Theobjectives and or other advantages of the invention will be realized andattained by the access port and/or catheter particularly pointed out inthe written descriptions and claims hereof, as well as in theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a known access port and attachable catheter.

FIG. 2 is a top view of an access port in accordance with a firstembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the access port of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the access port of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the access port of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is another cross sectional view of the access port of FIG. 2 witha needle and guidewire inserted through the access port and into thecatheter.

FIG. 7 is a top view of an access port in accordance with a secondembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a rear view of the access port of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the access port of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view of an access port in accordance with athird embodiment of the present invention

FIG. 11 is a partial cut away in a rear view of the access port of FIG.10.

FIG. 12 is a cross sectional view of an access port in accordance with afourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a partial cut away in a rear view of the access port of FIG.12.

FIG. 14 is cross sectional view of the access port of FIG. 12.

FIG. 15 is a side view of an access port and catheter in accordance witha fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a cross sectional view of the catheter of FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 is a side view of an access port and catheter in accordance witha sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a cross sectional view of the catheter of FIG. 17.

FIG. 19 is a bottom view of a portion of the catheter of FIG. 17.

FIG. 20 is a side view of an access port and catheter in accordance witha seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a cross sectional view of the catheter of FIG. 20.

FIG. 22 is a bottom view of a portion of the catheter of FIG. 20.

FIG. 23 is a side view of an access port and catheter in accordance withan eighth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 24 is a rear view of the access port of FIG. 23.

FIG. 25 is a side cross section view of an access port and catheter inaccordance with a ninth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 26 is a bottom view of the access port of FIG. 25.

FIG. 27 is a side cross section view of the access port of FIG. 25 withthe bottom plate removed and a guidewire or stylet inserted.

FIG. 28 is a side cross section view of an access port and catheter inaccordance with a tenth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 29 is a rear view of the access port of FIG. 28.

FIG. 30 is a side cross section view of an access port and catheter inaccordance with an eleventh embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 31 is a rear view of the access port of FIG. 30.

FIG. 32 is a side view of the proximal, reinforced end of a catheter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of theinvention, and examples which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be usedthroughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. It should beunderstood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of theinvention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, thedetails disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, butmerely as the basis for the claims and as a basis for teaching oneskilled in the art how to make and/or use the invention.

The present invention represents an improvement over conventional accessports and access port/catheter assemblies. One embodiment of theinvention includes an access port with an attachable catheter thatallows for a guidewire or stylet to be inserted through the catheter toaid in the placement of the catheter prior to inserting the access portinto a pocket in a patient. Another embodiment of the invention includesan access port with an attached catheter and a self-sealing secondseptum in the access port for inserting a guidewire or stylet into andthrough the access port and into the attached catheter.

FIGS. 2 to 6 illustrate a first embodiment of an access port 10 with anattachable catheter 12 in accordance with the present invention. Accessport 10 is shown from the top in FIG. 2 and has a target area 14 forinsertion of a needle (not shown) into a self-sealing access septum 16(see also FIG. 4). Access port 10 can be made of any material compatiblewith a long residence time in the patient. Such materials would include,but are not limited to titanium, acetal, and polysulfone. Access port 10also has a plurality of suture sites 18 for securing the access port 10into a surgical pocket in the patient (not shown). Preferably, theplurality of suture sites 18 are designed to minimize tissue in-growthand allow for easy removal, such as by reinforcing the sites with solidsilicone. Underlying the access septum 16 is a reservoir 17 into which aneedle (not shown) may be inserted through the access septum 16 andfluids either injected or removed from the reservoir 17. On the backsideof access port 10 is a self-sealing second septum 20 allowing aguidewire 21 (see FIG. 6) to be inserted into the access port 10 throughreservoir 17, out outlet 24 of the access port 10, and into catheter 12as shown in FIG. 6. In order to facilitate the insertion of theguidewire through the self-sealing second septum 20, a non-coring needle26 of suitable size can be used to make a path through the second septum20. It is also possible to use other devices that can create an entrythrough the septum 20, such as a specially-designed cannula or evensufficiently stiff guidewire that can be pushed through the septum 20.

Catheter 12 is fixedly attached to the access port body 10 on an outlettube 28. The connection between the catheter 12 and outlet tube 28 ofaccess port 10 is intended to be leak-proof and fixed so that the accessport is not easily removable from the catheter. The catheter may beattached by bonding the catheter to the outlet tube 28, integrallyforming the catheter with the access port body, or using connectors,such as a threaded connector, a pull-actuated connector, and an“interference barb” connector, although other types of connections maybe used. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 32, the catheter 12 may have athicker wall portion 160 adjacent to the access port 10 or be reinforcedto resist kinking of the catheter at outlet tube 28. Reinforcement ofthe catheter may include, but is not limited to, a reinforcing braidinside the catheter wall, a variable durometer catheter, a catheterusing stress relief at the connection, etc. If a thicker walled catheteris used, the catheter 12 may gradually taper to a normal catheter wallthickness downstream from access port 10.

A method for inserting the access port 10 and catheter 12 is achieved inthe following manner. Entry into the patient's vessel is made as for anyother catheter insertion, using, for example, the Seldinger method. Ameasuring guidewire (not shown) may be advanced to the desiredtermination point such as, for example, the superior vena cava of theheart. The distance from the insertion point to the desired location,the superior vena cava, is determined and catheter 12 is then trimmed tothe corresponding length. The catheter, depending on the type ofconnection to the access port, may be trimmed at either end. A pocket isthen formed under the skin at the entry point to receive port 10. Asshown in FIG. 6, access into the port body, using a non-coring needle 26for example, is gained through the self-sealing second septum 20 andguidewire 21 is inserted through the non-coring needle 26 into andthrough the reservoir 17, through outlet 28, and through catheter 12.The distal end of guidewire 21, with the access port/catheter assemblyslipped over it, is then inserted into the patient and advanced to thedesired location (e.g., superior vena cava). The catheter 12 and port 10assembly is then advanced over the guidewire 21 until the tip ofcatheter 12 is positioned at the desired location along the guidewire.The guidewire 21 and non-coring needle 26 are removed from theself-sealing second septum 20. The access port 10 and reservoir 17 areaccessed through the access septum 16 with a non-coring needle (notshown) and flushed to ensure proper operation. The access port 10 isthen sutured into place using suture sites 18. The incision used tocreate the pocket is then closed, concealing the access port 10. Theguidewire can also be inserted into the patient and then the accessport/catheter slid over the catheter.

A second embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 7-9. As shown inthose figures, access port 40 has an upper body 42, a target area 44, aplurality of suture sites 48, and a hole 46 for inserting a needle (notshown) and guidewire (not shown) into and through the access port 40 andinto catheter 12 as in the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, theaccess port 40 is made of three pieces: upper body 42, lower body 50,and a self-sealing access septum 52. Self-sealing access septum 52preferably fits snugly into upper body 42 and creates a reservoir area54 between the access septum 52 and lower body 50. As with the firstembodiment, catheter 12 is attached to the lower body 50 at outlet port56. Although not shown, a stiff guidewire or a non-coring needle asdescribed for the first embodiment can be inserted into the hole 46(FIG. 8) in the upper body 42 and through the self-sealing access septum52 to provide a path for a guidewire (not shown) into and through accessport 40 and through output port 56 into the catheter 12. As in the firstembodiment, the access port bodies 42 and 50 could be made of arelatively firm or hard biocompatible material such as acetal, titanium,and polysulfone. The insertion of access port 40 into a patient isperformed in a manner similar to that described above for access port10.

A third embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. Thisthird embodiment of the access port 60 is a soft-bodied port, e.g., madeof silicone, or other appropriate materials that provide characteristicssuch as self-sealing and long residence times. Access port 60 isgenerally shaped as in the first embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2-7 andalso has a target area 62 through which a needle can be inserted toinject or remove fluids from reservoir area 64. Additionally, accessport 60 has a rigid insert 66 which extends under and around reservoirarea 64 and guidewire access hole 68 in an open configuration which canhave sides to form a shallow dish or tray. The rigid insert 66, madefrom titanium or other rigid material, provides an indication to aperson inserting a needle into the access port 60 that the needle hasreached the reservoir area 64 and the fluids can be injected or removedas needed (needle stop). The advantage of a soft-bodied access port suchas access port 60 is that when a needle hits the hard needle stop 66,the person knows that the needle tip is in the reservoir. With ahard-bodied access port, there is a possibility that the needle hasmissed the access system and the hard surface that is encountered is theoutside surface of the hard-body access port. Thus, the soft-bodiedaccess port eliminates the uncertainty in locating the reservoir 64.

As shown in a partial cutaway of FIG. 11, the rigid insert 66 may have ahole 68 providing access to a needle and/or guidewire to aid in theinsertion of the guidewire into the catheter 12, as in the first twodescribed embodiments of the invention. It should be noted that theoutlet area 70 is shaped to guide the guidewire into catheter 12.Although not shown, the rigid insert 66 may stop below the outlet 24.

A raised circular area, concentric circles, or some other way of marking(not shown) the location of hole 68 can be made on the back side of theaccess port 60. Alternatively, the guidewire and/or needle can bepre-inserted, thereby reducing the possibility of missing the hole 68 orthe outlet 24 by the physician.

FIGS. 23 and 24 illustrate the embodiment of the invention where rigidinsert 130 in soft-bodied access port 60 has slopping sides 131 and 132to increase the angle of access through the septum 133. As with thepreviously discussed third embodiment, the rigid insert 130 can havesides to form a dish or tray and the back side 131 of the insert can beprovided with a hole 135 and target indicia (not shown) to facilitateproper alignment of a guidewire or needle.

It should be also noted that access port 60 need not be used inconjunction with the guidewire access hole 68 and attached catheter 12,but can also be used with a detachable catheter and catheter connector(not shown) on outlet 72, thereby eliminating the need for access hole68. One advantage of using soft bodied access port 60 having a hardenedinsert over other access ports is that when a needle contacts the hardinsert, there is little doubt that the needle is in the reservoir area64 as discussed above. Additionally, a soft body port produces lesscompression on the subdermis and may reduce erosion of this layer.

A fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 12 and13. Access port 80 is substantially similar to the embodiment shown inFIGS. 10 and 11. However, the rigid insert 82 does not extend upwardlyas far at the back side of the reservoir area 83 or have theself-sealing guidewire access hole 68 as shown in FIG. 11. Rather, aneedle with a guidewire or a stiff guidewire could be inserted anywherein the area 84 as shown in FIG. 14. An inserted needle and guidewire isgenerally directed toward the catheter 12 and guided into the lumen ofcatheter 12 by the narrowing area 86 shown in FIG. 13. Alternatively,concentric circles or other markings could be used on the back side ofaccess port 80, opposite area 86, to indicate a proper area forinserting the needle and guidewire. Such a marking may also include ahorizontal line along the back side of access port 80 to indicate theheight of the rigid body 82 at the backside of reservoir 83.

An alternative embodiment of the invention for allowing a guidewire tobe used with an access port and catheter is shown in FIGS. 15-22. Aspreviously described, prior art practice has involved first insertingthe guidewire into the patient, then slipping the catheter alone overthe guidewire and positioning it and then removing the guidewire beforeattaching the access port to the catheter. In accordance with thedescribed embodiment of the present invention, the guidewire is inserteddirectly into a lumen of the catheters shown in FIGS. 15-22 with theaccess port already in place and subsequently withdrawn in the samemanner once the catheter is in position. In this embodiment, whereby theguidewire is passed directly into a lumen of the catheter, any accessport can be attached to the catheter since the guidewire does not enterthe assembly through the access port.

FIGS. 25-27 illustrate an embodiment of the present invention in whichaccess port 140 having soft bodied septum 141 is provided with aremovable panel 143 to give open access to reservoir 144. As shown inFIG. 27, removal of panel 143 from the bottom of port 140 opensreservoir 144 to permit insertion of guidewire 145 through the reservoirand into opening 147 into the lumen of catheter 12.

FIGS. 28-31 illustrate a further embodiment of the present invention inwhich access to reservoir 151 in access port 150 having soft septum 152disposed within hard body 158 is through channel 153 which is otherwiseclosed by threaded bolt 54 in hole 155 at the back side 156 of theaccess port. Removal of bolt 154 allows a guidewire or stylet (notshown) to be inserted in a direct line through reservoir 151 intocatheter 12. FIGS. 30 and 31 illustrate the alternative use of arecessed set screw or plug 157 in hole 155.

As shown in FIGS. 15-16, the catheter 100, fixedly attached to theaccess port 102, has a truncated lumen 104 located on the underside ofcatheter 100. Truncated lumen 104 is shown on the underside of catheter100 in FIGS. 15-16, but could be located anywhere around the peripheryof catheter 100, i.e., the side, the top, etc. As with the previousembodiments, the catheter 100 is cut to length by using a measuring wireor guidewire to determine the correct length from the insertion point tothe location point, e.g., superior vena cava. After the catheter 100 iscut to an appropriate length, a guidewire is inserted into and throughthe truncated open lumen 104 through opening 106. The guidewire (notshown) is then inserted into the patient at the insertion point andadvanced to the desired location in the patient. The access port 102 andcatheter 100 are then slid over and along the guidewire and insertedinto the patient as described before. Similarly, the guidewire couldfirst be inserted into the patient and the catheter then slipped overthe inserted guidewire. Depending on the type of use and location ofuse, the length of lumen 104 may vary from very short to the entirety ofthe catheter. When the lumen 104 is shorter than the length of catheter100, its position along the catheter may also vary depending on the typeof trimming, method of insertion, etc.

FIGS. 17-19 show an alternative multi-lumen catheter 110 attached to anaccess port 102 (again, any access port would be acceptable). Ratherthan the truncated open lumen 104 as in the previous embodiment,multi-lumen catheter 110 has a skive 112 allowing access to a guidewire(not shown) into the secondary lumen 114. The combination of the accessport 102 and catheter 110 are inserted and secured into the patient insubstantially the same manners as described for the previousembodiments. The skive 112, or opening, could be located anywhere alongthe length of the catheter between the access port 102 and the distalend of the catheter. Additionally, the secondary lumen 114 could belocated anywhere around the circumference of catheter 110.

An alternate but related way to insert an access port/catheter assemblyis using a guidewire with a single lumen catheter. Rather than havingthe second lumen, the guidewire could be inserted into the side wall ofthe single lumen catheter. Preferably, if the catheter is made fromresealable materials so that the guidewire can be inserted anywherealong the length of the catheter (with or without a needle) andsubsequently removed without leakage. Alternatively, the catheter couldhave a resealable, predetermined area, band, or section into which theguidewire could be inserted. After the guidewire is inserted into thecatheter, the guidewire would be advanced to the desired location andthe catheter advanced over the guidewire to that same location. If theinsertion point is near the access port, the physician would be able toensure that the catheter has resealed itself after the guidewire/needleis removed. On the other hand, if the access point for the guidewirewere closer to the distal end of the catheter, then resealing propertiesof the catheter may not be as important since the hole would be close tothe target area.

Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 20-22including an access port 102 and catheter 120. Rather than the truncatedopen lumen 104 or multi-lumen catheter 110 with a skive 112 as in theprevious two embodiments in FIGS. 15 and 17 respectively, thisembodiment has a narrow slit 122 along the underside of catheter 120into secondary lumen 124. The slit 122 could also be placed anywherearound the catheter 120. The side portions of slit 122 should be closetogether to prevent the guidewire from slipping out of the secondarylumen 124. In some instances the resilient sides of slit 122 mayactually touch to close the slit. The physician could insert theguidewire (not shown) in one of several ways. First, after determiningappropriate length for catheter 120, the physician could insert theguidewire at a distal end of catheter 120 and continue to feed theguidewire into the secondary lumen 124 until it exited catheter 120 atan opening 126. Alternatively, the physician could also press theguidewire into secondary lumen 124 through slit 122 along the entirelength of the appropriately trimmed catheter 120. Once the catheter hasbeen inserted and placed into the patient, the guidewire can be removedby sliding the guidewire out through slit 122 or opening 126. Dependingupon the geometries encountered by the physician, the guidewire can comeout of the secondary lumen 124 at any point along the slit 122 asrequired.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made in the apparatus and method ofthe present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of theinvention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover themodifications and variations of this invention provided they come withinthe scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. An access port assembly comprising: an accessport comprising a self-sealing access septum and a reservoir; and acatheter having a proximal end and a distal end opposite to the proximalend, the proximal end of the catheter being fixedly attachable to theaccess port, the catheter comprising a first lumen in flow communicationwith the port when the proximal end of the catheter is attached to theaccess port and a second lumen having an entry site in the catheteradapted to accept a guidewire into the second lumen without passing theguidewire through the access port when the proximal end of the catheteris attached to the access port, the entry site being located between theproximal and distal ends of the catheter and the second lumen extendingfrom the entry site toward the distal end of the catheter.
 2. The accessport according to claim 1, wherein said entry site is an openingintermediate the access port and a distal end of the catheter.
 3. Theaccess port according to claim 1, wherein the catheter includes areinforced portion adjacent the access port.
 4. An access port assemblycomprising: an access port having a self-sealing access septum; and acatheter having a proximal end and a distal end opposite to the proximalend, the proximal end of the catheter being fixedly attachable to theaccess port, the catheter having a first lumen in flow communicationwith the port when attached to the access port and a second lumen havingan entry site in the catheter adapted to accept a guidewire into thesecond lumen, the entry site being located between the proximal anddistal ends of the catheter and the second lumen extending from theentry site toward the distal end of the catheter, wherein said entrysite is a slit in the catheter, the slit extending substantially thelength of the catheter.
 5. The access port according to claim 4 whereinthe slit has an opening of sufficiently restricted width to retain aguidewire inserted therein.
 6. An access port assembly comprising: anaccess port comprising a body portion having at least one suture holeconfigured to permit the access port to be sutured inside the body of apatient, a self-sealing septum portion, a reservoir defined by the bodyportion and the self-sealing septum portion, and an outlet in flowcommunication with the reservoir, the outlet being configured to beattached to a catheter; and a catheter having a proximal end and adistal end opposite to the proximal end, the proximal end of thecatheter being fixedly attachable to the outlet of the access port, thecatheter comprising a first lumen in flow communication with the outletof the access port when attached to the access port and a second lumenhaving an entry site in the catheter adapted to accept a guidewire intothe second lumen, the entry site being located between the proximal anddistal ends of the catheter and the second lumen extending from theentry site toward the distal end of the catheter.
 7. The access portassembly according to claim 6, wherein the body portion is formed of amaterial that is more rigid than a material forming the self-sealingseptum portion.
 8. The access port assembly according to claim 6,wherein the body portion and the self-sealing septum portion are formedof the same material.
 9. The access port assembly according to claim 6,wherein said entry site is an opening intermediate the access port andthe distal end of the catheter.
 10. The access port assembly accordingto claim 6 wherein the catheter includes a reinforced portion adjacentthe access port.
 11. The access port assembly according to claim 6wherein the access port further comprises a guidewire entry site.
 12. Anaccess port assembly comprising: an access port comprising a bodyportion, a self-sealing septum portion, a reservoir defined by the bodyportion and the self-sealing septum portion, and an outlet in flowcommunication with the reservoir, the outlet being configured to beattached to a catheter, wherein the self-sealing septum portion and theoutlet are oriented such that a device may pass through the self-sealingportion along an axis substantially perpendicular to an axis of theoutlet; and a catheter having a proximal end and a distal end oppositeto the proximal end, the proximal end of the catheter being fixedlyattachable to the outlet of the access port, the catheter comprising afirst lumen in flow communication with the outlet of the access portwhen attached to the access port and a second lumen having an entry sitein the catheter adapted to accept a guidewire into the second lumen, theentry site being located between the proximal and distal ends of thecatheter and the second lumen extending from the entry site toward thedistal end of the catheter.
 13. The access port assembly according toclaim 12, wherein the access port further comprises a guidewire entrysite.
 14. The access port assembly according to claim 12, wherein theaccess port further comprises a guidewire entry site.
 15. The accessport assembly according to claim 12, wherein the body portion is formedof a material that is more rigid than a material forming theself-sealing septum portion.
 16. The access port assembly according toclaim 12, wherein the body portion and the self-sealing septum portionare formed of the same material.
 17. The access port assembly accordingto claim 12, wherein said entry site is an opening intermediate theaccess port and the distal end of the catheter.
 18. The access portassembly according to claim 12, wherein the catheter includes areinforced portion adjacent the access port.
 19. An access port assemblycomprising: an access port comprising a self-sealing access septum and areservoir; and a catheter having a proximal end and a distal endopposite to the proximal end, the proximal end of the catheter beingfixedly attachable to the access port, the catheter comprising a firstlumen in flow communication with the port when the proximal end of thecatheter is attached to the access port and a second lumen having anentry site in the catheter adapted to accept a guidewire into the secondlumen, wherein the entry site is configured to pass the guidewiredirectly from an exterior of the catheter to the second lumen via theentry site, the entry site being located between the proximal and distalends of the catheter and the second lumen extending from the entry sitetoward the distal end of the catheter.
 20. An access port assemblycomprising: an access port comprising a self-sealing access septum and areservoir; and a catheter having a proximal end and a distal endopposite to the proximal end, the proximal end of the catheter beingfixedly attachable to the access port, the catheter comprising a firstlumen in flow communication with the port when the proximal end of thecatheter is attached to the access port and a second lumen having anentry site in the catheter adapted to accept a guidewire into the secondlumen, the entry site being located between the proximal and distal endsof the catheter and the second lumen extending from the entry sitetoward the distal end of the catheter, wherein the first lumen extendssubstantially parallel to the second lumen.
 21. The access port assemblyaccording to claim 20, wherein the second lumen is not in flowcommunication with the access port.
 22. An access port assemblycomprising: an access port comprising a self-sealing access septum and areservoir, wherein the assembly has no more than a single self-sealingseptum; and a catheter having a proximal end and a distal end oppositeto the proximal end, the proximal end of the catheter being fixedlyattachable to the access port, the catheter comprising a first lumen inflow communication with the port when the proximal end of the catheteris attached to the access port and a second lumen having an entry sitein the catheter adapted to accept a guidewire into the second lumen, theentry site being located between the proximal and distal ends of thecatheter, and the second lumen extending from the entry site toward thedistal end of the catheter.